2. Your pet jumps up on the couch, wedges himself between your guests and gets comfy.
As long as Fido or Fluffy is being nice, what you do depends on your guests' reactions. If they shove over and let him put his head in their laps, let sleeping dogs lie (literally). If they're aghast, you have a couple of choices: banish the pet or, in the case of a dog, ask him to sit nicely on the floor.
If you choose to put your pet away, make sure it's in a room where he's comfortable, and there's food and water. If your cat is going into solitary, make sure there's also a litter box, and hide some tasty treats for him to find, says Frank. Having something fun and stimulating to do will alleviate boredom and keep anxiety at bay. For dogs, Fulker also suggests filling hollow hard rubber toys, such as Kongs, with frozen peanut butter. The dog will love the challenge of digging that delicious-smelling treat out of the centre.
Never tolerate a dog who's possessive of his spot. "If you know that your dog tends to growl when other people come in," says Frank, "don't put him in that situation." If Fido or Fluffy regularly take up residence on your couch with your blessing, you might want to leave a blanket in his spot so guests know not to sit there. The pet lives here, not your guests, says O'Sullivan.
3. Your sister feeds your pet something verboten – after you've asked her not to.
Most people feed pets treats out of a sense of love. Who doesn't like sneaking them a cookie, or 12? But pets can have food allergies and sensitivities just like humans, and cleaning up the mess can be dreadful. Be firm and describe the outcome of your sister's actions to her. "Or take a picture of the mess and show it to her and say, ‘This is what I'm talking about. Please don't do that again,'" says O'Sullivan.
If your sister simply won't listen, put your pet in a secure place where he can't be fed irritating tidbits. Or, adds O'Sullivan, give the offender a bag of approved treats to dole out.
4. A child visiting your house mistreats your pet while her parents look on, without saying a word.
Your job is to protect your animal, so remove the pet from the room ASAP. Delivering a lecture may not be advisable if the parents don't seem to get it.
Fulker encourages owners to be direct and give the child a lesson in properly greeting animals. "Children should never touch an animal without asking first," she says. The animal could snap, an involuntary protective reaction that's natural. And since young children's faces are at tooth level of a dog, they can be severely injured.
If a child is being rough when giving affection, show her how to do it gently. When my eight-year-old niece met my cat, she petted her backward, from tail to head, and was rewarded with a handful of claw marks. After Marissa's tears dried, and Cocoa's fur stopped standing on end, I showed her the right way to pet her. Marissa learned quickly, and today, at 17, is a gentle, loving companion to her own two felines.
Page 2 of 4 - read page three to find out about bringing pets to other people's houses.
